Apple Fined $12 Million in Russia for Violating Anti-Monopoly Rules With App Store

[mattspace]

All of the consoles require approval of a game before it can be sold on their platforms.

What happens to Apple my eventually flow back to console makers, but Apple is the only one with a wholesale (developers) monopoly, AND a retail monopoly, hence they're the low-hanging fruit for regulators.

And again, I don't think you can just ignore the subsidised nature of the hardware from Sony/Microsoft (Nintendo, maybe is closer to Apple, but again, they still have the retail channel competition).

This doesn't make sense, the fact that a developer could be making even less money (30% markup from Best Buy, 30% from Sony and 40% left over for the dev?) means that the Apple App Store is worse?

The consumer's choice to buy from competitive retail outlets is what establishes whether there is consumer harm being inflicted on the market by the platform / market owner. In games, the consumer has competing retail options. The Spotify case for example, hinged on the fact that Apple's dual monopoly raised prices for the Spotify service, that would otherwise not have happened if Spotify were able to bill those customers directly.

This distinction is without legal precedent under section 2 of the Sherman Act. Indeed, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft all operate similar walled gardens or closed platform models as Apple, whereby the hardware, operating system, digital marketplace, and IAPs are all exclusive to the platform owner. As such, a final decision should be better informed regarding the impact of the walled garden model given the potential for significant and serious ramifications for Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft and their video game platforms.

Those aren't my words though, they're from the preliminary injunction in the Epic v Apple case.

It's entirely possible Epic will lose in America, but that Apple will still be regulated world-wide as if they had won, as the ramifications of the Spotify case, etc work their way through.

 

[I7guy]

[...]
It's entirely possible Epic will lose in America, but that Apple will still be regulated world-wide as if they had won, as the ramifications of the Spotify case, etc work their way through.

Well it ain't over till it's over, but we will see. And if there isn't a win in the US there may not be any far-reaching ramifications.

 

[mattspace]

Well it ain't over till it's over, but we will see. And if there isn't a win in the US there may not be any far-reaching ramifications.

In Europe, Apple is required to submit to an independent arbitrator for App Store disputes, which makes Europe a better place to be an app developer for Apple's platforms. Regardless of what happens in Apple Vs. Epic, regulators worldwide are moving to break Apple's current business model, indeed if Epic loses, it might just be seen as further evidence that legislative change is required to achieve the outcome the regulators want.

It would be a bad bet, to put money on the status quo.

 

[I7guy]

In Europe, Apple is required to submit to an independent arbitrator for App Store disputes, which makes Europe a better place to be an app developer for Apple's platforms. Regardless of what happens in Apple Vs. Epic, regulators worldwide are moving to break Apple's current business model, indeed if Epic loses, it might just be seen as further evidence that legislative change is required to achieve the outcome the regulators want.

It doesn't seem like epic vs. apple is moving in the direction many hoped...but it's still not over...there may be surprises. I wouldn't bet the farm on there being significant changes to the app store. Of course, we can both air our opposing viewpoints as when an if change happens, we will know it.

It would be a bad bet, to put money on the status quo.

I'll take my chances.